Names In The News

Coe will not earn a salary and said he doesn't see the role as political

In London, Ashling O'Connor writes former LOCOG Chair SEBASTIAN COE now has access to the U.K.’s "most powerful politicians, whose support will be critical if he is to be successful in what he describes as his next 'ten-year mission.'" Coe now "answers directly to U.K. Prime Minister DAVID CAMERON, who chairs the Cabinet Committee on Olympic and Paralympic Legacy." After only two meetings, Coe "is encouraged." It took Sydney "nine years to establish a similar body" after the '00 Summer Games. Coe, who "is not taking a salary for the role, does not see his job as political." He said, "This is a ten-year mission. Having this (unit) up and running 18 weeks after the Closing Ceremony is a good start" (LONDON TIMES, 1/25).

HELL OF AN ENGINEER: Georgia Tech AD MIKE BOBINSKI "agreed to a five-year contract worth an average of $695,000, with about a quarter of it coming in a deferred compensation package." His pay "starts at $625,000 and climbs to $725,000 by the fifth year, with $175,000 paid annually into a supplemental retirement plan that he becomes eligible for after he is at Tech for three years." Former GT AD DAN RADAKOVICH, who now serves as Clemson AD, "also had a significant deferred compensation package" (AJC.com, 1/24)....LSU on Thursday announced that the proposed new contract for football coach LES MILES "calls for an average annual salary increase" from $3.751M to $4.3M over a seven-year term. The new deal "will be presented to the LSU Board of Supervisors at its Feb. 1 meeting" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 1/25).

AWARDS & HONORS: The L.A. Sports Council named AEG President & CEO TIM LEIWEKE its '12 Sports Exec of the Year. The organization also named Gold Medal-winning U.S. beach volleyball players MISTY MAY-TREANOR and KERRI WALSH JENNINGS its Sportswomen of the Year (L.A. Sports Council)....Nationals GM MIKE RIZZO was named Exec of the Year by the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America (WASHINGTON POST, 1/25)....Indians manager TERRY FRANCONA received the Judge Emil Fuchs Memorial Award (ESPN.com, 1/24)....AHL Chicago Wolves Owner DON LEVIN on Sunday will be inducted into the Illinois Hockey HOF. Levin said of the Wolves' success on the ice and at the gate, "We've been really focused on being family entertainment, not raising prices a lot. Our entertainment is really family entertainment" (Illinois DAILY HERALD, 1/25)....Northwestern State Univ. AD GREG BURKE was named the recipient of the '13 Contribution to Amateur Football Award by the Louisiana Chapter of the Nat'l Football Foundation & College HOF (NSU).

CHARITY STRIPE: The Orlando Magic Youth Fund on Thursday "surprised 17 local charities with more than $1 million." This came seven months after "hundreds of charities initially applied for the grants, and the winners had to endure a long winnowing process that included site visits by the selection committee." Magic CEO ALEX MARTINS said it was one of his "favorite days of the year" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/25)....Marlins LF LOGAN MORRISON raised more than $50,000 for the American Lung Association through his annual baseball camp earlier this month (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 1/24)....The Sharks’ charitable foundation, the Sharks Foundation, this week announced that it is “donating more than $419,000 in grants to 17 nonprofit groups” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 1/24).

NAMES: The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis on Thursday hosted a six-hour public visitation for late Baseball HOFer STAN MUSIAL. When the cathedral opened its doors at 2:00pm CT, the line “of mourners stretched a few hundred deep” (MLB.com, 1/24)....The Duchess of Cambridge KATE MIDDLETON has accepted honorary membership to the All England Club (TELEGRAPH.co.uk, 1/25)....Retired U.S. swimmer MICHAEL PHELPS and Basketball HOFer JULIUS ERVING will play in the PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open Annexus Pro-Am on Wednesday (AZCENTRAL.com, 1/24)....Buccaneers coach and former Rutgers Univ. coach GREG SCHIANO “sent the university a $300,000 check this week, paying off the remainder of a no-interest home loan and cutting his last financial ties to the school” (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/25)....Former MSG Sports President SCOTT O'NEIL and ESPN’s DARREN ROVELL are among the speakers at the inaugural Corporate Ticketing Impact Conference at MetLife Stadium on April 16 (ALSD)....NASCAR driver DANICA PATRICK yesterday said that she is dating fellow driver RICKY STENHOUSE JR. (AP, 1/25).